Death is Life
by Akatsuki Child
Summary: His doctor told him if he didn't stop smoking, he would die. He ignores it, but then a "caretaker," Annabeth, steps in. He wants to die, though. Will he be saved or will his wish be granted? AU. Some OOC. Dark fic.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is something that I've been thinking about for a while. It's a bit different than what I usually write. It's darker and deals a lot with death. It has a good moral, though :D Anyways, here's Death is Life: Chapter One.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

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**Chapter One**

"You have to stop smoking."

Percy decided to just ignore this jackass who was telling him what to do. Who was he to tell him such nonsense? Instead, he glanced around the cream-colored room, taking in the animated pictures of lice and other disgusting creepy crawlies that would like to nest in your hair. He took in the plastic figure of the human body. It was missing its spleen and brain. Next to that on the wall was a poster explaining what drugs did to your body. In the corner was a wooden desk with his folder on it. He himself was sitting on an examination table, the white paper crinkling under him.

He yawned loudly. "Done?"

The man sitting before him in a wheelie chair glared at Percy. "I'm serious, Percy. I'm your doctor."

Percy matched his hard look lazily. "That's what they all say."

"If you don't stop this, you'll die."

Percy thought of the prospect of dying, and it didn't sound all that bad right now.

"Your lungs are so full of cancer, it's amazing you're even breathing."

"So then it shouldn't matter if I quit or not. I'm going to die either way, right?"

Doctor Lynch clenched his teeth. "If you stop now, we might be able to get rid of it with surgery."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. You said it yourself. I'm lucky to be breathing. Nothing's going to save me now."

"You're not listening! If you stop, you have a higher chance of living. You have a higher chance of surviving. Don't you want to live?"

Percy sighed at the theatrics, but that caused him to go into a coughing fit. Doctor Lynch grimaced as he saw Percy hack and cough up some blood.

Percy's nose wrinkled. "Ew." He got up and went to the sink and washed his hands with the lemon-scented soap that killed ninety-nine point nine percent of all germs.

"See what I mean?" Doctor Lynch said, standing up. "If you continue like this, you'll be dead in a matter of weeks."

Percy dried off his hands before replying to him. "Maybe I want to die. Maybe I'm tired of living."

His frustrated doctor stared at him angrily.

"My wife died, my kids hate me, my family is disappointed in me, my friends won't talk to me…" Percy shook his head, a sudden feeling of sadness washing over him. Harshly, he said, "Why should I continue through this misery? Why should I do that to myself? Life's not worth living if there's nothing to live for."

Doctor Lynch remained silent. This was what he wanted to hear for years: the reason behind his smoking.

They were smothered in an uncomfortable silence for three minutes. Percy was starting to question why he had even come to his check up in the first place. Deciding it wasn't worth it anymore, he started making his way to the door when Doctor Lynch stopped him.

"You move on. You learn to get past all that. You make amends. You don't just give up."

Percy stopped, his hand on the doorknob. "It's too late for me."

"No, it's not." Doctor Lynch took a deep breath. "I'm putting my foot on the line."

The confidence and certainty in his voice made Percy slowly turn around to stare at his doctor. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice low and suspicious.

"I'm your doctor, and you're my patient. Therefore, I have a right to step in and help if a patient cannot help themselves."

"I _can_ help myself. I'm just choosing not to."

Doctor Lynch scowled. "I'm deeming you unfit to take care of yourself."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "This has to be against the law."

"It's not."

"I'm still going to sue."

"Go ahead. Do you think they'll believe you over a doctor of fifteen years?"

Percy glared harshly at him. "I don't need help. This is my choice." And with that, he wrenched the door open.

"I can still overrule that, you know!"

"Oh, fuck you!"

Percy slammed the door shut and stomped out into the waiting room where people were staring at him with wide eyes. He rolled his eyes. Ignoring the appalled secretary, he pushed the door open and stepped outside into the chilly autumn air. He started walking down the busy Manhattan streets to his apartment. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. He pulled one out and stuck it in his mouth. He pulled out his neon yellow and green lighter and lit his smoke.

He inhaled deeply, reveling in the tobacco as it swirled in his lungs, killing them even more. He let his breath out and watched as the smoke curled around itself before lifting up into the air and disappearing.

_Maybe someday before I die I'll be able to make letters like that damn caterpillar from Alice…_

Percy coughed from the tobacco, a coppery taste filling his mouth. He grimaced, but didn't put his cigarette out. As he continued on his journey home, Doctor Lynch's words echoed in his mind.

"_If you don't stop this, you'll die."_

Percy knew what he was doing to himself. He was aware that his lungs were dying. He wouldn't stop smoking, though. It wasn't just the addiction to the tobacco that kept him from quitting. It was the memories and the reason why he started smoking in the first place. Every time he was hit with the memories, he found himself smoking a few more cigarettes, trying to get to his final goal: death.

Death was what he wanted. He didn't want to live in pain anymore. He wanted to escape from his miserable life because there was nothing left in it that was holding him to Mother Earth. Yeah, he loved his kids to death (no pun intended), but they hated him. Besides, they were only a reminder of a past life that he wanted to forget.

So why choose smoking? Why not jump off a building or drown himself in the bathtub? First off, he thought they were too theatrical, along with shooting his brains out. Second, he didn't want people thinking he was seriously suicidal (he _was_ suicidal, just not serious). Thousands, maybe even millions, of people died due to lung cancer, a.k.a. smoking. When he died of smoking, people will just think of him as a crazy loony toon. It was nothing out of the ordinary, so people wouldn't be too suspicious.

A few minutes later, he arrived at his apartment. He walked up the steps and rummaged through his coat pockets for his apartment keys. He ignored the little old Korean lady—his neighbor—who was leaning out the window on the third floor, yelling down at him in Korean.

He growled and craned his neck up at her. "I no speak Korean! This America! We speak American!" He went back to rummaging in his pockets. "Crazy old nit…"

Percy found his keys and opened the door just as one of his neighbors was about to leave, scowling and grumbling.

"What's she complaining about now?" Percy asked.

The guy scowled. "She thinks you stole her cat again."

Percy rolled his eyes. "I swear to God they should just send her to the nursing home already."

Percy walked down the decrepit hallway and up the creaky steps to the third floor. Upon arriving on the third floor, he was immediately assaulted by the small mass that was Mrs. Chang.

"You take kitty cat again!" she yelled.

Percy sighed to himself. He tried to ignore her as he made his way to his place. "You sure she didn't run away from you? I wouldn't blame her…" he mumbled.

"Give kitty cat back!"

"I didn't take your damn kitty cat! She probably just slipped outside when you weren't looking!"

She glared at him and continued pestering him in Korean again. Percy just smoked his cigarette as he slipped inside his apartment and locked the door behind him. He sighed in relief at getting away from her nagging.

Percy slipped his coat off, revealing his white button down shirt that was lazily tucked into his pants. He threw it on the recliner before crashing on the couch. He slipped his shoes off with his feet and they flopped onto the ground. He reached for the remote that was sitting on the coffee table and turned the TV on, flipping through the channels. He had flipped through them all but had found nothing to watch, so he turned the TV off.

He stared up at the white ceiling, his free arm behind his head. He inhaled again and let the smoke slowly leave his mouth. He felt a little guilty when he thought about leaving his kids with his parents, but it's not like he had ever been a huge part of their lives. When he had started smoking, they had visited his parents a lot, and pretty soon they were living with them. He missed them, even if they hated him for giving up on his life. If anything, he was glad they were away from his suicidal self.

He sighed and reached over to put out his cigarette. Instead of an ashtray, he just had a big pile of sand on his coffee table with a bunch of old cigarettes sticking out. He stuck his cigarette in the sand, adding to his collection. He suddenly went into a coughing fit, the taste of blood filling his mouth again. He sighed again and closed his eyes, drifting off into a fitful sleep.

_Percy watched as his wife, the most important person in his life, was lowered into the ground in her casket. He gripped his children tighter in a hug as they sobbed into his shoulders. Tears slipped down his face as he said a final goodbye to her. _

"Hello?" _Knock, knock, knock._ "Is anyone home?"

Percy slowly opened his eyes. He glanced around and remembered he had fallen asleep on the couch. He took a deep breath to calm himself after having that memory. That was the memory he hated most.

He stood up and reached for his back pocket to take a cigarette.

"Hellllooo?"

Percy bit the inside of his cheek. Was he really in the mood for a social visit? Tch, hell no.

He brought out his pack of cigarettes and lit another one before going to the kitchen to have dinner. Or, as he liked to call it, heated crap. Yes, he meant the good ol' TV dinners.

"I know you're in there, Percy Jackson. I can hear you."

Percy blinked and stared at the door, the cold air from the open freezer pouring on him. He just shrugged and bent down to pick out his heated crap for the evening. He opened the microwave and was about to put his dinner in when he heard her say, "I'll break down the door if I have to."

Percy rolled his eyes. "You do that, you'll be paying for a new door."

Stunned silence. "So you are in there!"

He sighed and reluctantly went and opened the door. Standing before him was a woman with blonde hair and gray eyes. She was dressed in regular clothes and she held an annoyed expression.

He raised a brow. "If you're looking for a way to get paid, I might suggest going down to apartment 10B. He's always looking for a girl to f—"

"_I'm not a hooker,_" she ground out.

"Could've fooled me…" he muttered.

She glared at him. "I'm Annabeth Chase. I work for Doctor Lynch."

The alarm bells in Percy's mind automatically went off. His eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me…this is his method of helping me, isn't it?"

Annabeth blinked. "As a matter of fact, yes, it is."

"So let me guess…he's making you sleep with me in an attempt to get me addicted to something else, right?"

Annabeth's face went red. "No!" she exclaimed. "I'm not here to have sex with you!"

A man who lived in the apartment down the hall stepped outside just as she said that. He raised a brow at Percy, and Percy just grinned. "She's just in denial that she's madly in love with me. Everything's fine."

He quickly grabbed her and yanked her inside before shutting the door. He glared at her. "Could you not yell things like that? My neighbors will think I'm a pedophile or something."

Annabeth just rolled her eyes. "Pretty soon they won't have something like that to think about you. You'll be dead within weeks."

Percy groaned. "Not this bullshit again."

"It's not bullshit. It's reality. Doctor Lynch hired me to help you quit smoking before it's too late."

"Yeah well ol' Lynchie doesn't know when to keep his nose out of my business."

He started walking off to the kitchen again to finish—or actually start—making his dinner. Annabeth followed him and crossed her arms.

"So you're just giving up on life, then?"

"Life gave up on me long ago. I'm just trying to help it out in its mission to get rid of me."

She rolled her eyes. "You're so dramatic."

"I'm the farthest thing from dramatic. People in my position would have either killed themselves already or made a big fuss about how their life sucked. I'm less theatrical. I'm going out silently and practically begging."

"That's just sad."

Percy's eye twitched. He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter, staring at her while holding his cigarette with his thumb and pointer finger. "So then what are you exactly? A friend of his, cousin, common hooker…?"

"Stop calling me a hooker! I'm not a hooker!"

"Well then you shouldn't dress like one."

She glared furiously at him. "You're really annoying. Maybe I should just let you die."

"Good, that's what I wanted. Now get out of my house."

Annabeth pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm a caretaker for Ron. I help him with his _special patients._"

Percy pouted. "I'm not special. I know exactly what I want. And damn, first names? You had to have had sex with him to be on a first name basis!"

She clenched her teeth together and Percy mentally smirked at her annoyance.

"My job is to save your life, and so for the next two months—if you even live that long—I'm going to be living with you twenty four seven."

Percy froze, his cigarette hanging from his mouth. "You're shitting me."

"I shit you not."

"This is a joke." He shook his head. "I don't need saving."

"At this point, it's not up to you. Since the moment Doctor Lynch has deemed you unfit to take care of yourself, your health and well being has been in our hands. It's my job to save people, and you're my next patient."

Percy scowled as he took out his TV dinner and a fork before plopping down at the kitchen table. "I'm really starting to hate you and Doctor Lynch. This has to be illegal."

"As a matter of fact, it's not, so suck it up and quit whining." Annabeth went and stood before him as he chewed his heated crap and glared at the wall.

"Why can't you people just let me live my last days in peace?"

"Because there's still a chance that you can be saved."

Percy sighed and looked up at her and the look of fierce determination on her face. Nothing was going to stop her.

He scowled, realizing he had no choice. Annabeth smiled and took that as a sign that she had won the argument. Now began the long process of healing this man.

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**Like I said, different. But I have a good idea of the plot. My goal with Percy is to make him the sarcastic, rude guy who is indifferent about a major event happening to him. I have a good feeling about this story, but let me know if I should continue it. The inspiration for this chapter was the song 'Fuck You' by Lily Allen. It's great :D**

**Thanks for reading and REVIEW and let me know if I should continue!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm really sorry this came out late. Just busy, busy, busy! Hope you like it :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

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**Chapter Two**

"Look, I'm going to go back home and get my stuff. I'll be back in about an hour."

Percy just continued to glare at the TV that was showing _Wheel of Fortune_ as she walked out the door. He sighed and rolled his eyes, turning the TV off. If there was one thing he was sure of, he wasn't going down without a fight. He wouldn't just let this woman take control of his life and ruin his plan.

He got up from his spot on the recliner and slipped on his shoes and coat. He slipped out of his apartment, making sure to lock it. What a surprise Annabeth would have when she found him gone.

_Heh, maybe she'll get the hint._

Percy pulled out a cigarette and lit it, the flame from the lighter glowing brightly in the twilight sky. He walked down the street, a cold wind blowing through his hair. He shivered and pulled his coat tighter around himself. He decided he would make a trip to the grocery store and stalk up on food for the last few weeks of his life.

A few minutes later, he arrived. He put out his cigarette in the ash tray outside before stepping inside, the automatic doors opening for him. The toasty warmth from inside immediately made him feel better from the bitter cold that was coming with the fall nights. He started making his way down the first aisle. He had never been one for grocery shopping. That was always his wife's expertise. He didn't know the difference between broccoli and cauliflower, only that one was green and the other was white.

Sighing, he trudged onward, picking off random foods—most of them unhealthy. After going through the aisles, he dropped his findings on the counter at a cashier. The cashier gave him a weird look after glancing at the food (Cheetos, pickles, peanut butter, TV dinners, a six-pack of beer, and ravioli) as Percy turned to stare at the candy bars. There was one thing he really wanted before he died…a Butterfingers bar.

He picked off one of the king size bars and placed it on the counter.

"Your total is 24.36…"

Percy reached into his left back pocket and pulled out his wallet. That and cigarettes were the only things that he kept in his back pockets at all times. He pulled out a twenty dollar bill along with a five and handed it to the cashier. He received his change along with a 'thank you' and then he left.

As soon as he was out the door, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. It was dark outside now, the buildings providing him with more than enough light to get home. He walked back down familiar streets to his apartment, taking his dandy old time.

When Percy arrived back at his apartment and stepped inside, he figured Annabeth had come, found him gone, and had given up on him. However, he was surprised to find her shoes next to the coat rack (which he never used).

Percy, eyes narrowed in suspicion, slowly set his food down on the counter and pattered quietly through the house, trying to find out where the hell she went.

He peeked into the kitchen area and found it empty. He slowly walked down the hallway and looked into the bathroom. Nope, no Annabeth. He—dreadfully—looked in his room, but—thank God—didn't find her. There was only one place she could be: the guestroom.

Swallowing, he opened the door and it creaked open. Lo and behold, there, unpacking her stuff, was Annabeth.

"Thought you could get rid of me, huh?" she asked in that annoying way of hers.

Percy clenched his teeth together. "How did you get into my home?"

"First off, this is hardly a home." Percy huffed at this. "Second, all I had to do was ask the landlord. Nice lady. She even gave me a spare key. Face it: you're stuck with me."

Percy grumbled and stomped off into his room. He whipped his coat and shoes off and unbuckled his pants. He pulled his button down off so he was left with his boxers and a short-sleeved shirt. Still grumbling, he slammed the door shut and then went to his bed and snuck under the covers. He just wished it was all a nightmare. He wished that, when he woke up, he would realize it was all a part of his imagination…

He sighed and closed his eyes, falling asleep instantly.

* * *

Percy woke up to the sound of clanking. He groaned and rolled over until his face was buried into the pillows.

_Wait a minute…clanking?_

He froze, and then slowly sat up, staring out of his big, floor-to-ceiling windows on the wall behind his bed. The sun was already up, causing a harsh orange glow to hit the buildings of Manhattan. Percy remembered Annabeth and how she had practically broke into his house and started residency there.

There was more clanking, and then something crashed, like it had exploded and broke.

Percy jumped and then growled. _What the hell was she doing?_

He flipped his covers off and rolled over onto his back and hopped off the bed. He rushed down the hall and into the kitchen. He stood in the doorway, staring at the blonde standing in the middle of the kitchen, pans and ingredients and foods covering the counters. On the floor was glass that had fallen to the floor and broken into hundreds of shards.

Percy gaped at the mess and then at Annabeth, who looked sheepish and guilty. "What the fuck are you doing?" Percy yelled.

"Uh…making breakfast…" Annabeth trailed off, flushing. "I didn't want to wake you up…but I didn't know where anything was at…I'm sorry," she finished, looking embarrassed.

Percy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's alright," he answered gruffly. He stared at the glass on the floor. "I'll…clean this up."

"Don't worry. I'll do it. Uh…where's the broom?"

Percy sighed. This was going to be a long, long day.

* * *

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just observing."

"Umm…observing?"

"Yeah, it's part of my work. I have to observe my patients for at least twenty-four hours."

Percy rolled his eyes. He leant back in his recliner and switched the channel on the TV. He watched the show with mild interest. Shark week. One of his favorite weeks of the year. Too bad it was probably the last time he'd see it.

"Ah, I just love those sharks…" he mumbled.

Annabeth grimaced. "Sharks are creepy."

Percy glanced at her, then back to the screen. "Sharks are awesome. One of the greatest predators ever." He nodded his head as if that made it unarguable.

Annabeth just sighed to herself.

Later that day, Percy decided that for lunch, he was going to indulge himself and make a proper turkey sandwich. He noticed, with slight annoyance, that Annabeth seemed pleased about this, that he was eating something a little healthier. He huffed to himself and slathered on the mayonnaise. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her smug expression slowly drop to a grimace. He smirked to himself. Like he said, he wasn't going down without a fight…or annoying her. She was fun to tease because she got upset over the tiniest things.

And, just to spite her even more, he reached into the fridge and grabbed a cold beer. He turned around and found her scowling at him, her arms crossed.

"You know that's only going to kill you more, right?" she said snarkily.

"Great. I'll make sure to grab some more later." Percy smirked and walked back to his recliner. She flopped on the couch and glared at the TV.

Percy was still peeved that she was here. Why couldn't Doctor Lynch accept that he wanted to die? Why couldn't he leave him alone? He just wanted to spend his last weeks alone, without anyone nosing into his business trying to save him. Therefore, he made it his personal goal to get rid of this woman. Maybe then Lynchie would get it in his head that he didn't need—or want—saving.

They sat in an uncomfortable silence as they watched a man dive into shark infested waters with only a few fish for bait.

Percy shook his head. "What an idiot."

Annabeth just rolled her eyes at his childish comment and propped her head up with her hand. She was a little worried about this guy. She had never taken on a patient who actually _wanted_ to die. Her past patients had always begged her to help them and she was very successful except for two times. Other than that, she prided herself for being a good caretaker. But she just wasn't so sure with Percy, especially because she still had to find out more about his back ground and find out where he's coming from.

The thing with addict patients is there's always something that starts them on this obsession. Annabeth's mission was to find out what it was, talk him through it, and get him to stop this habit, thus saving his life.

But it was going to be tricky. She needed to use all her stealth and smarts to get into this patient's head.

An hour passed. Percy grabbed another smoke and found he was down to his last three cigarettes. _Time to get another pack._

He got up and went into his cluttered room and rummaged around in his drawer until he found another pack of Camels hiding under his jeans. He slipped it into his back pocket before grabbing something else from the drawer. Unbeknownst to him, Annabeth had silently followed after him, peeking around the corner. She made a mental note of where he hid his cigarettes and then fell out of view before he found her snooping.

Percy exited his room and found Annabeth staring up at him with her arms crossed and a slim eyebrow raised. He jumped, not expecting her to be there.

"Jesus," he sighed, clutching his shirt where his heart would be. "You scared me."

"Sorry." She didn't sound sorry at all. "So what are you doing now?"

"Going to the bathroom." Percy turned, but then paused and looked at her suspiciously. "You're not going to follow me in there, are you?"

"No," she deadpanned.

"Because I know you're a hooker and everything and want to have sex with me in the bathroom, but like I say time and time again, I'm just not into your services." He smiled charmingly.

She glared. "And I keep telling you I'm not a hooker."

"And yet, you still fool me."

Annabeth growled. "You're insufferable."

Percy grinned. "Thanks babe." And then he turned and went into the bathroom, making sure to lock the door. He heard Annabeth snarl in frustration before stomping off. He smirked and slid down the door so he was sitting on the floor. From inside his pocket, he pulled out a Gameboy and started playing some Pac-Man.

_Oh yeah. Score one for Percy._

Percy smirked to himself as he sat with his knees pulled to his chest like a little kid. Honestly, he was having fun. He had some quiet alone time, he was playing Pac-Man, and smoking his cigarettes. What more could he ask for?

Ten minutes and six Pac-Man lives later, Annabeth was fuming silently outside in the hall.

_What a coward,_ she thought as she glared daggers at the bathroom door. Seeing that he probably wasn't going to come out for another half hour, Annabeth just scowled in frustration and grabbed her coat and shoes before slipping out the door and down the stairs to Manhattan.

_Fine._ _Be that way. But as of right now, I'm starting my plan._

Annabeth, with new found determination, started making her way to the grocery store.

Percy deemed it safe to come out after an hour of getting caught by that damn Blinky ghost and losing in Pac-Man. He silently pushed the door open and listened intently for any sounds that someone else was occupying his home. Satisfied with the silence, he stood up and stretched his stiff body before shutting the Game Boy off and tossing it into his room.

As he glanced at the clock—it was now five in the afternoon—his belly complained loudly about the lack of food it was being fed. Percy winced and rubbed his stomach. He pattered into the kitchen and grabbed the phone off its receiver. Chinese sounded delicious. Plus, it would fill him up and satisfy his appetite. After he called the Chinese restaurant and placed his order, he stared at his empty and bland apartment.

There was a part of him (it was depressingly small) that was anguished and disappointed that he wouldn't get to live his life. That small part of him wanted to turn back on his whole 'death plan' and embrace Annabeth and her help. It was that little nagging voice in the back of his head that made him believe Dr. Lynch's words, that it wouldn't be too late to make amends with his children, his parents, his friends…

But the more dominant part, the part he listened to, his _head…_it told him that it was too late, reminding him of all the pain he had endured. It just brought him back to his rhetorical yet intriguing notion he had voiced to Dr. Lynch at his check up the day before.

Life's not worth living if there's nothing to live for.

Besides, life was a bitch, and if there was one thing Percy learned in high school, it was to stay away from bitches.

Percy sighed and walked down the hall, peeking in the guest room where Annabeth's things were still situated. He felt a spark of guilt in his stomach. He felt a bit bad for her. She was only doing her job. But she was doing her job on a lost cause, and she was wasting her time. So, to save her time, he would try to get rid of her. Or kill himself earlier. Whichever came first.

About ten minutes later, Chinese came. He paid the delivery boy and then closed the door with his foot. He dug into the bag and pulled out his three cartons of food and happily started eating.

By nightfall, Percy found himself smoking and watching some more of Shark Week. He was a bit concerned that Annabeth wasn't back yet. Seriously, did he actually chase her off? That would be great, except for the fact that her stuff was still there and she had just stormed out.

Maybe she was up to something. His mind automatically became suspicious. What if she was…Nah, she wouldn't do that. She was a nurse, for Christ's sake! There was little doubt in his mind at that concept. Nurses weren't devious.

_She probably went to ol' Lynchie to get off my case. If that was the reason, she'd come back and get her stuff and be gone by morning, just like I hoped…_

He should have known how far-fetched his hopes were.

* * *

**So...not yet into the action, but it's coming in the next chapter where Annabeth starts to hellp Percy. **

**Did you like it? Was it alright? Let me know by REVIEWING!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


	3. Chapter 3

**Since I finished my other story Ten Days, I am now working on this story, and once this is done (shouldn't take more than ten-twelve chapters) I'll start working on Persistence of Memory again :D I like this story because it's humorous, yet full of dark topics. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

**Chapter Three**

That night, Annabeth had gotten back pretty late. She had with her multiple bags filled with groceries and a few other things. As she—quietly—piled into the apartment, she set the groceries down in the kitchen before quietly sneaking down into the hallway to make sure Percy was asleep. She slowly opened his bedroom door and peaked in. He was lying face down into the pillows, his leg hanging off the edge and the blankets wrapped around him in a cocoon. Annabeth rolled her eyes and silently shut the door.

She crept back into the dimly lit kitchen and riffled through the bags, pulling out a box of large, black, garbage bags. She opened the fridge and got to work.

_**Step one: reduce the number of unhealthy substances in the house.**_

Annabeth grimaced as she emptied out Percy's fridge. Mostly, it was filled with beer (she'll admit she cracked one open while she worked), and she allowed just one six pack to remain. She couldn't count how many moldy packages she had discovered. The milk had been spoiled and she found something gross alive and moving in the back corner of the shelf.

She shuddered and brought out a bottle of some cleaning product. She sprayed the blob multiple times before scrubbing it away with a toothbrush (she made sure to put on yellow rubber cleaning gloves first). After the fridge was completely clean, she smirked to herself as she started putting away some groceries, all of them healthy except for the odd food that wasn't.

When she was finished, she moved onto the cupboards and did the same thing, emptying them out and replacing them with better foods. When she was completely done, she had two garbage bags full of crap. She lugged them downstairs to the back and threw them into the dumpster. After climbing back up to the apartment, she started the _real_ fun.

Searching the apartment for cigarettes.

_**Step two: rid of the actual substance the patient is addicted to.**_

She searched for at least two hours, finding them in the weirdest places: in the couch cushions, stuck in a book (yes, she did search every book. No, Percy didn't have that many books), and in the cabinets under the bathroom sink. She couldn't search his room yet. She would have to do that tomorrow. All in all, she found ten packs, which wasn't too bad. She was expecting to find way more.

She yawned loudly and stretched her arms above her head. She put the cigarettes into a bag and went back down to throw it in the dumpster. When she returned, she pulled her supplies into her room and stuffed them into her closet. She didn't even bother to change clothes as she shut her door and collapsed on the bed.

At around ten in the morning, Annabeth heard a scream coming from the kitchen. She merely opened her eyes and smirked. She got up, yawned, locked the door, and then snuggled back under her covers. She heard Percy stomp down the hallway and bang on her door, but she just ignored him. He tried opening the door, causing the lock to rattle, but of course, he couldn't get in.

"Annabeth!" he yelled, furious. "Wake the hell up!"

Said girl just sighed and sat up. She reluctantly got up and unlocked the door. She opened it up partway, putting on an expression of annoyance.

"What?" she asked bluntly.

His face was livid as he glared down at her. Annabeth felt a spasm of fear run down her spine before it disappeared. She swallowed as he replied, "You…_bitch!_"

She glared at him, but didn't say anything.

"You took _everything_ away! What the hell is your problem?"

"My problem is that you want to die," Annabeth replied, poking his shoulder hard and getting in his face. She was already getting sick of his whining, especially since she was trying to help him. "I'm trying to save your life! This is what I do! I know you want to die, but that doesn't mean that I won't try my hardest to keep you here."

Percy clenched his jaw and glared at her. She glared back just as hard.

"Why do you want to die?" Annabeth asked quietly.

Percy didn't answer. He just turned away from her and stomped back to the entry hall, slipping his shoes and coat on and slipping outside, slamming the door shut and causing something from the wall to fall and break.

Annabeth swallowed and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She slipped back inside her room, unintentionally slamming the door as well.

_That irritating, annoying, insufferable woman…_

Percy growled as he walked outside in the back, kicking over a trash can and slamming it against the wall. How _dare_ she completely ransack his own home? What right did she have? So what if she was his caretaker? He didn't even want her help! Why didn't she just leave?

Percy clenched his fists together and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She irked him _so_ much, and this was only day three together.

He left the back area then, deciding to go take a walk to clear his head.

Meanwhile, Annabeth had snuck out of her room to make sure he was still gone from the house. Once assured that it was clear, she snuck into his room and quickly started rifling through his possessions, checking for anymore packs of cigarettes. Of course, she remembered to check his drawers where she found five more packs. She sighed. This guy must've been really depressed if he smoked this much.

She threw the packs into the sack from her closet. She let out a long breath and plopped down on her bed. Maybe she was going about Percy in the wrong way. He wasn't like her other patients. If she used the same techniques, it could possibly backfire on her.

She sighed. She had to at least try before she resorted to her final attempts, something she hoped wouldn't happen.

She heard the door open and close quietly. Percy was back, and by the sound of it, he was calm. She stepped outside and met him in the living room. They looked at each other, the air between them tense and awkward.

"Umm…" Percy started awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. He stared at the floor as he spoke. He sighed. "Look, I'm sorry for getting so mad at you earlier. You're just doing your job."

Annabeth took a deep breath and mumbled so low he could barely here, "I'm sorry too." However, it wasn't for the reason that he would think.

He blinked. "What?"

"Nothing. It's fine. Percy, I know you don't want help but…I want to help you. Just…_trust_ me."

Percy swallowed. "I don't need help," he just replied firmly, going to crash on the couch.

Annabeth sighed as she followed him, standing over him. "Fine, but just riddle me this: when you stormed out of here, what did you do to calm down?"

He blinked. "I went for a walk…?" he answered, his reply becoming a question. He wasn't exactly sure where she was going with this.

She smirked. "See. My methods worked."'

Percy deflated. "Huh?"

_**Step three: replace the addict's addiction with something healthier.**_

"Instead of smoking, you went for a walk to calm down. Knowing that I took away all that crap and your cigarettes made you think that I took the ones from your pocket. You unknowingly sought out a different form of a stress-reliever." She smirked victoriously. The Three R's (reduce, rid, replace) worked on anyone.

Percy gaped. "But—you—" He jutted his chin out defiantly. "How do you know I didn't smoke, huh?"

"I would smell it."

He huffed and got up to leave, pissed off once again, but Annabeth shifted in front of him, holding out her hand. "Hand them over."

He glared at her. "Do you honestly believe that I'll be fine stopping cold turkey like this?"

"Hey, it has happened before. Besides, you _have_ to stop cold turkey."

Percy just snarled and ripped out his cigarettes. No matter. He could always go and—

"Oh, and if you start buying cigarettes in secret or smoking them somewhere else, I _will_ have Dr. Lynch admit you to the hospital."

He stomped off and slammed his bedroom door shut without another word. It was the only way he could control his temper without lashing out at her.

Annabeth smirked.

This happened the whole week. Annabeth and him would fight a lot, but usually Percy tried avoiding her. He had been able to smoke a few cigarettes, but he had had to go for a walk in order to rid the smell so she wouldn't find out. By the end of the week, Percy was already starting to feel withdrawal. He found himself twitching a lot, and at night he found himself sweating profusely. Every time he reached for his back pocket, he remembered it was empty, save for his wallet.

On Thursday, after only smoking a few cigarettes all week, rather than the few packs he usually did each _day_, he got fed up with Annabeth's victorious smirk. She wasn't laying into him as much now, but he'd rather have that then have her smugness invading his personal space.

"Shut up," he growled. She was biting her lip, probably to keep from laughing, as he twitched from the withdrawals. His body wasn't used to not having the drug flowing through his veins (at least it wasn't used to having so little of it). The sudden drastic change only made it worse.

Annabeth quirked her lips, standing up and heading down the hall. She called, "Every druggie goes through it. Your body gets so addicted to a substance, it doesn't remember how to survive without it."

Percy glared at her, his eye twitching. It wasn't from withdrawal.

In fact, he was so pissed off with her right now, he wasn't really able to think straight. This would explain why he suddenly stood up and walked down the hallway to Annabeth's room. She was currently in the bathroom, so she wasn't able to see Percy grab a bunch of her clothes from the drawers and walk over to the window by the kitchen. He opened it up and swiftly threw her clothes out.

Oh boy did that feel good.

He stalked back to her room and grabbed some more clothes. Annabeth walked out just then and saw Percy walking away with a bunch of her clothes. Astonished, she gaped at him, but he ignored her and continued on to the window. Annabeth stomped after him.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Getting rid of my anger," he muttered with collected fury. He promptly pushed her clothes out. Annabeth gasped and gripped the window pane, poking her head outside into the cold air and staring down at her clothes fluttering to the ground and to the sidewalk. A few passersby just stared up at her like she was crazy.

"By throwing my clothes out on the street?" she asked incredulously.

He nodded. "Right where they belong."

Annabeth turned her murderous glare on him. She stalked up to him, fists clenched, and punch him squarely in the jaw.

Percy fell back on her bed, blinking. "Ow. Damn, that hurt."

"I am so sick of your rude comments to me! Jesus Christ I'm not a hooker!"

He stared up at her, feeling a sliver of fear course through his body. She had a mean right hook. If this was what happened when she got mad…

He shivered. Scary thoughts. She could do some serious damage to a guy.

Percy looked up into her stormy gray eyes. They were fully intent on murdering him in the night, and he swallowed. "I'm sorry," he squeaked. "I'll go get them."

He scuttled off like a bat out of hell and flew down the stairs outside. He sighed and began picking up her clothes. He heard the window slam shut and he flinched. Secretly, though, he smirked. This was exactly what he needed to do in order to drive her over the edge. She would quit his case in no time.

By Friday, Percy was not only starving (he would only eat the healthy crap if he absolutely had to), but he was also just plain depressed. He sat on his sofa, a beer in hand. He was staring unseeingly at the TV as Annabeth sat at the counter, doing something or other. Percy didn't really care. He was miserable that he wasn't able to smoke, but he was more depressed about the fact that…well…he had kind of given in. Of course, if ever given the chance, he would smoke up a storm (i.e. the reason he "went on walks" more often), but…and he couldn't believe it…maybe he _should_ let Annabeth help him. Now that that crap was lessened in his system, it was easier to see that what he was doing was disgusting.

But smoking was ease to the pain of his wife dying. After her, the only thing he had to live for was his kids, but after he started smoking, they started hating him and _asked_ to live with his parents. He had nothing to live for anymore. Everyone thought he was a jackass, his lungs were full of cancer, and, now, he was depressed.

_Come on, cancer, just kill me already. _

He turned and looked back at Annabeth. She wanted to help him, but why? Okay, obviously she was a caretaker. It was her job. However, most people would deem him a lost cause and just give up. But something about her tone earlier suggested that the reason she was trying so hard was more personal than she let on. Something told him she was hiding something as well.

It was rather sad that she was able to clean him in one day. Granted, he wasn't actually giving up so easily (the clothes fiasco was only one of the many frivolities he planned to pull on her), but he had to hand it to her. She was good.

"Stop staring at me," Annabeth scolded him angrily. She was probably still made about yesterday. However, she didn't look too good. She looked like she was sick.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked, mildly concerned. "I really don't want you dying here…"

She glared at him. "I'm fine." And then she walked off into her room. Percy raised a brow. He looked back on the counter and just found a bottle of water, still open.

_Strange…_

Percy sat back against the couch. Now would be the perfect time to sneak out…

Smirking, he quietly got his coat and shoes on and slipped outside, planning on a trip to the store and the park.

Later that night, Percy smelled of smoke as he entered the apartment. He had gone both smoking _and_ walking. How he loved compromise…

_Ha. How do you like them apples, Annabeth?_

He quietly opened her door and found her curled up on her bed, sleeping. Well it _was_ two in the morning. She looked deathly pale, and she sweating a bit. His brow furrowed. What was wrong with her? Was she getting sick from the smoke? Or was she just getting the flu? Winter _was_ coming right around the corner.

He pressed his lips together as he slipped back out and went to his room. Stripping down to his boxers, he snuggled under the covers, Annabeth still on his mind as he fell asleep.

* * *

**So what's Annabeth hiding? Will Percy survive all of this? And will Annabeth survive Percy's frivolities?**

**Review please and thanks for reading!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


	4. Chapter 4

**Haven't worked on this for a while, but I'm starting to get into it again. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

When Percy woke up and stumbled into the kitchen, he found Annabeth making breakfast. She looked ten times better, but she still had an edge of sickness to her. She was dressed in sweats, her hair in a ponytail.

"Going jogging?" he mildly ask, not really caring one way or another.

"No, _we're_ going jogging."

Percy stopped. "Say that again?"

"We're going down to the gym, getting on treadmills, and we're going to get that heart rate pumping. It's good for you."

Percy glared. "Um, first off, no. I'm as fit as a fiddle." Annabeth snorted. Percy scoffed at her. "Don't believe me? Check out these abs."

He lifted his shirt and, lo and behold, revealed a somewhat six pack. Annabeth, though slightly mesmerized by his tan stomach, merely snorted before mentally slapping herself for being attracted to him.

"Granted, you are. But that doesn't mean your lungs are."

"Which brings me to point two: my lungs won't be able to handle something like that."

She rolled her eyes. "Stop being such a baby and just try it. You might even like it."

Percy highly doubted that.

Annabeth sighed and plated an omelet and slid it across the counter to Percy. He just grimaced and cut a piece off, stabbing it with his fork and depressingly eating it. "Look, we'll start off slow. Exercising is all-around good for your body, and especially good for you since you are quitting smoking."

Percy felt victorious that she didn't know about his walk-and-smoke routine.

"I'll make a deal with you: every time you go exercising with me in the morning, you can have one of these."

Percy blinked as she held up a regular sized candy bar. A Butterfingers, to be exact. His favorite candy.

Percy stared at the bar, full of chocolately goodness and peanut butter. He narrowed his eyes at Annabeth. "How—"

"When I went into your room to clear it of cigarettes," Percy glared at her for this, "I found like seven Butterfinger wrappers on the floor. You know you really need to clean your room. It's gross."

"Thanks for the advice," he said sarcastically, furiously eating his omelet. "Dammit, _fine._ We'll go, but _only_ if I can eat my Butterfinger first."

Compromise was compromise, but the way Annabeth saw it, she had won. She smirked. "Fine."

* * *

Percy gasped for breath as sat down against the wall, chugging down some water Annabeth handed to him. Man, that _jogging_ had sucked (he hadn't even _ran_ for crying out loud!). But he had been right: his lungs could barely handle it. He may have been lean and owned a six-pack, but his cardio capacity sucked _ass_.

"Good job," Annabeth said, grabbing his hand and pulling him up. "It'll help you get better. Although, next time I suggest waiting until afterwards to eat that candy bar."

He hated to admit it, but Annabeth was actually helping him, and he wasn't really doing anything about it. Every time she asked him to do something (always against his favor) he would do it. It was like she had brain washed him or something. And he _hated_ it. He wanted to _die_. That was his original mission after all.

Percy just grumbled as he ran a hand across his sweaty forehead and they started to leave.

But as they were walking out of the treadmill room, he saw her.

She had dark, almost black hair. It was curly and hung in a loose ponytail. Her skin was pale with a few freckles, and she had green eyes. His green eyes.

It was his daughter.

Suddenly, memories bombarded him. They were from a time he wanted so desperately to forget. Flashes of that night his wife died, of when his two daughters cried and cried after realizing she wasn't coming back, when he himself wasn't coming back…

"Percy?" Annabeth broke through. "What's wrong?"

He blinked rapidly to clear his mind. His heart was beating fast like it had when he was jogging. His breathing was ragged and uneven. He glanced over at the caretaker for a second before flicking it back to his daughter, who was now starting her jog.

Without a second thought, he fled, but it was too late. She had seen him.

"D-Dad?"

Percy froze halfway through the door.

"Dad."

He had no choice but to turn around. As he turned, he vaguely registered the fact that Annabeth was watching curiously from afar. He stared at the floor for a minute, trying not to look. He couldn't help himself.

His eyes caught hers in a clash of green. "Elizabeth…"

There were tears in her eyes, but they were cold and glaring. "What are you doing here?" she asked harshly.

He swallowed hard. He was used to that kind of hostility from her. But it still hurt.

"I…"

He shook his head miserably, not sure what to say. "I don't know," he answered honestly.

What _was_ he doing here? There was no way he was going to survive this cancer. He was done for, and right now, Annabeth was wasting his time.

Not knowing what else to say, he abruptly turned and left, storming out the door.

Meanwhile, Annabeth had watched—and heard—the exchange with curiosity. Percy looked pretty upset, so she figured that this girl was important to him somehow. She sighed to herself and made her way to leave. She had some digging to do.

* * *

Percy had walked. Where to, he wasn't sure. He just walked. He needed to get away. If there was one moment where he desperately wanted a cigarette, it was now. It would have been something to take his mind off of Elizabeth and seeing her after—three months now?

Percy slowed to a stop just outside of Central Park. He had seen the hurt in her eyes. He knew that he had hurt his children with his smoking. But he needed it. It was an escape. He loved them dearly, Dear God he loved them.

But he loved his wife too, and her memory was bittersweet and the hardest to deal with.

He felt his fingers twitching for the feel of a cigarette between them. His body shivered from the residue of nicotine mingling in his chest from the cancer. He _needed_ one like he needed air.

Screw Annabeth.

Abruptly, he turned on his heel, hailed a taxi, and went to the nearest convenience store.

An hour later, he was in his bed again. The window behind his bed was cracked open to let in the cool autumn air. He was lying back, his arm bent behind his head and a lit cigarette between his forefinger and middle finger.

As he sat there, contemplating what to do the last few weeks of his life, he heard the front door slam shut. Annabeth was back. He grimaced a bit as he heard her stomping, getting closer and closer to his room. As expected, his bedroom door was wrenched open, and a red and angry Annabeth stood before him.

"What the hell are you doing?" she all but screamed.

Percy nonchalantly blew out smoke. "What does it look like?" he answered like the jackass he was.

Annabeth locked her jaw. She was glaring furiously at him. She looked like she was about to burst with steam.

"I don't get you," she said with a steely, cold voice that made Percy pause. She shook her head. "Fine. Do whatever you want. Go ahead and die. You aren't going to listen to me anyways."

And with that, she closed his door. He heard her walk down the hall and heard her door slam shut.

Percy stared at the off-white door she had just walked out of. His cigarette was forgotten as it built up its ash on the end.

For some reason, Annabeth's words bothered him, and not "the pop machine ate my dollar" kind of bothered. It went a lot deeper than that. It went to his stomach, making him feel nauseous. For once, Percy felt like shit for being such a jerk.

He sighed heavily and put the cigarette out in the ash tray on his bedside table. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. What was going on?

* * *

Annabeth had been true to her word. She had only worked with him for a little more than a week, but she could tell that nothing was going to change him. People only changed when they wanted to change. It's like school: you can teach it, but you can't make a student _want_ to learn it.

However, Annabeth only gave up on the cancer part. She was still going to try to save him, just not how originally planned, and definitely not how Percy thought.

Doctor Lynch had given Percy about a two-month time frame to live, but Annabeth could tell that his time was coming faster than that. She had to act fast, but to do that, she needed to do some research. Meaning, it was time to pay Doctor Lynch a visit.

* * *

**There you go! Not as long as usual, but next update will come fast because I already know for sure what's going to happen. School ends in two days! Yay!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


	5. Chapter 5

**So in this chapter, you see a glimpse of Percy's and Annabeth's changing feelings towards each other. Also, I wanted to mention...the pace of this story may seem kind of fast, but that's the whole point. You'll understand better at the end of the story. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Seriously. I've been doing this for at least two years now. By now, I would think people would get the idea...I don't own PJO!**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

That night, Percy had gotten about four hours of sleep. For one thing, he kept coughing, trying to get rid of annoying itch in his throat. A few times, he had coughed up blood onto his navy blue sheets. Before any of this happened, he had merely grimaced at the blood and washed it away. But now, he felt a deep sense of disgust.

The other reason for not sleeping was Annabeth.

He couldn't stop thinking about how she quit. She just gave up. A part of him was hugely relieved, but another part was…disappointed. Now that his days were nearing closer and closer to their end, he could feel the cancer taking more effect. He could feel himself _dying_. Some part of him was full of regret, and he _wanted_ Annabeth to help him.

But there were too many other regrets.

Begrudgingly, he slipped out of bed wearing only his boxers and a gray t-shirt. He walked into the kitchen and found Annabeth sitting at the counter, eating a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats.

He stared at her. Her back was to him, so she hadn't seen him yet. She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a green t-shirt. Percy felt something in him flutter, but before he could ponder on it, she turned and saw him staring.

Annabeth blinked. "Um…morning…" she stated slowly.

Percy mentally slapped himself. He shook his head slightly, grunted a "morning," and made his way to the cupboard where his Lucky Charms awaited him. He poured some into a bowl, pointedly ignoring Annabeth and the way she watched his movements.

"I thought you were leaving," Percy stated. Annabeth wasn't sure if his voice was full of annoyance or…regret…

Annabeth blinked and stared down at her bowl of milk. She swallowed hard. "I'm still going to try and do all I can to help you survive." She sighed, almost sadly. "Doctor Lynch said you had two months to live—well, now about a month and a half—but I just don't think…"

She couldn't finish. Despite how annoying he was and how much he got on her nerves, she hated death. She didn't want him to die. They obviously hadn't gotten along, but she had started to see improvement the last few days, meaning that he wasn't fully opposed to her.

The blonde caretaker bit the inside of her cheek. She glanced up at the scraggly man under her lashes. His face was covered in light stubble and his black, shaggy hair was a rat's nest. His green eyes were dark as they stared at the bowl of cereal. She couldn't help but notice his biceps bulging slightly from the short-sleeves of his shirt.

She felt her heart stutter, and in a second, like the butterfly flapping its wings in South America…things changed.

"Percy…"

Said man stopped mid-chew. He slowly looked up at Annabeth. Her face looked pained and she was staring at him. He swallowed hard and looked back down. He hadn't seen that look since…

"Yeah?" he answered with a shaky voice.

Annabeth took a deep breath. She cleared her thoughts as best as she could, pushing her feelings away. "Why did you start smoking?"

Percy froze. He felt his jaw clench as he glared at the countertop. That wasn't something he wanted to talk about. Definitely not.

He shook his head. "Didn't Lynchie tell you?" he asked sarcastically.

"No…" Annabeth lied. Of course she knew. His wife died. But that's all she knew. Besides, she needed to have it confirmed by Percy himself.

He turned his glare on her, and Annabeth blinked in surprised. "Well then you really don't need to know."

He threw his empty bowl and spoon into the sink, causing a loud clanking that made Annabeth flinch, and he stormed off to his bedroom, slamming the door.

Annabeth sighed again, letting out a shaky breath. He didn't want to talk, but she needed answers in order to save him. Time to see Doctor Lynch.

* * *

Percy paced angrily in his room. He had thought that he was actually getting used to Annabeth. Big mistake. He should have known that she wouldn't really give up. She would continue with the questioning, and he really had no desire to answer anything related to his past. Honestly, was it really her job? She was just supposed to keep him from dying, right?

He swallowed back a bitter taste in his mouth. Like any of it was her business anyways. She would only find a way to turn everything into his fault anyways. He may not have known Annabeth for long, but he had figured out how she worked. For instance, whenever she was nervous or concentrating really hard, her brows would furrow and she would bite her lip. Whenever she was angry, her lips quirked to the side and she narrowed her eyes (this expression was seen more often than not). When she was happy, her face relaxed and she would smile that brilliant smile of hers, her gray eyes shining…

Percy shook his head furiously. No. She was insufferable, annoying, and he would be so glad when she left.

He collapsed on his bed with a flop. He stared up at the white ceiling, not really seeing it. He wished she would just disappear and leave him to deal with the last few days of his life. But at the same time, he wished for the exact opposite.

* * *

Annabeth took a deep breath. She stood before Doctor Lynch's office, thinking about what she was about to do. Now was her last time to back out. She knew that, if she found out what she needed and pulled through with her plan, Percy would hate her when he found out. And she didn't want that.

Earlier in the kitchen, she had realized that Percy was special. Not in the fact that he was a harder patient, but in the fact that she cared deeply (almost too deeply) about his surviving. The most frustrating part was that she really had no idea why she was feeling this, considering he was a bitter man who found great amusement in calling her a hooker (and he did it quite frequently).

She shook her head, but she couldn't stop the quirk of her lips that formed a small smile.

Annabeth knocked on the wooden door, and a few seconds later, it opened. Doctor Lynch stood before her. He was middle-aged and a bit plump in the stomach.

"Annabeth," he greeted cheerily with a smile. "How are you?"

She forced a smile. "Fine. Can I talk to you?"

A look of concern crossed his features at her tone of voice. It was tired and pleading. Slowly, he nodded and opened his door wider to allow her in.

Annabeth stepped inside and sat down at the chair beside his desk. Her stomach flipped with nerves. Doctor Lynch slowly settled himself in his wheelie chair, staring at Annabeth with a look of curiosity and worry. "Is everything alright?" he asked.

Annabeth licked her lips. She sighed. "Not…really." She explained about everything since she first met him, finally ending with how he refused to talk about his past.

Doctor Lynch sighed. "Yes well…Percy's difficult. He's obviously been through a lot, but he won't tell anyone, and that only leads to even worse things happening."

"Like his death…" Annabeth mumbled, staring at the floor.

Lynch shifted around uncomfortably. "Yeah…" he replied sadly.

There was a moment of silence between them before Annabeth spoke again.

"I…don't think I'll be able to keep him from dying," she forced out slowly, trying not to choke on…tears? "But…I want to save him from himself."

Lynch looked up at the woman before him. She was biting her lip, staring at him pleadingly. Annabeth was the best caretaker he knew of, but he had been hesitant about letting her take Percy. He knew about Annabeth and her own past, her own hardships. He knew that she would grow an attachment to Percy.

"But," she continued when he didn't reply, "I need your help. He has family." It was statement. "I saw his daughter when we went to the gym." She swallowed thickly. "Where does she live?"

* * *

After about twenty more minutes in Lynch's office, Annabeth found herself standing outside of an apartment building where Percy's daughter, Elizabeth, supposedly resided. It was a tall brick building, like all the other apartment complexes in New York.

She took a deep breath and buzzed in on the intercom. "Hi…I'm looking for Elizabeth Jackson…?"

There was silence for a minute before a girl's voice buzzed back through. "Can I help you?"

"Hi, I'm Annabeth Chase. I work for Doctor Lynch. I was wondering if I could talk to you?"

She heard a sigh come through, but then there was a loud _buzz!_ and the door to the building popped open. Gratefully, Annabeth stepped inside. She climbed up the stairs to the second floor and found apartment 2C. She knocked on the door.

Instantly it opened to reveal a tall, young woman (Annabeth guessed she was in her early twenties) with black hair and sea-green eyes. The woman she'd seen from the gym.

She leaned against the door and crossed her arms, looking over Annabeth. Annabeth vaguely realized that she got that from Percy.

"Elizabeth?"

The woman raised a brow. "That's me."

"I'm Annabeth. I was hired by Doctor Lynch to help your dad…" Annabeth saw that Elizabeth stiffened and her jaw clenched, but she didn't say anything.

Annabeth took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you would be able to help me."

* * *

**Aww. Percy doesn't want her to leave. And Annabeth's going behind his back...surely this will mean some tension next chapter...BUT! More importantly, you finally learn why Percy is the way he is. You may find it a bit far-fetched (or extremely sad), but either way please bear with me. Also, this story, in all reality, is about halfway over with. The changing point will come in chapter seven, when things start to unravel faster and things change. **

**Thanks for reading and review please!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to all my reviewers out there! Let's see if we can get to the one hundred mark with this chapter! This chapter is sad. You find out about Percy, and I'll admit I got misty-eyed when I wrote it. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Elizabeth sighed. She opened the door wider and Annabeth gratefully stepped inside. The black-haired beauty moved across the room to the dining table. She plopped down in a seat—the perfect imitation of Percy—and gestured to a chair for Annabeth.

"Hey, Lizzy, who's here—…"

Annabeth looked up to find another dark-haired girl, who looked a couple years younger than Elizabeth. She had bright green eyes and frizzy hair. She also had lots of freckles on her face.

The girl's brows furrowed. "Who're you?"

Annabeth quirked a smile at the girl's abruptness. "I'm Annabeth Chase. I work for Doctor Lynch."

Instantly, her eyes hardened and she crossed her arms stiffly. "So you know Dad, huh?"

_Another one?_ Annabeth thought with great surprise. Doctor Lynch had only mention Elizabeth, but then again, she'd only asked about Elizabeth. She had no idea that Percy had another daughter. Annabeth shook her head slightly. "Y-yeah. What's your name?"

"Maria," the girl replied, crossing the room to sit next to Elizabeth.

Annabeth smiled slightly. "It's a beautiful name. Anyways, Doctor Lynch asked me to try and heal Percy."

Elizabeth snorted and shook her head, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "You can't save him. He was gone the moment he picked up that first cigarette."

Annabeth stared at her. She swallowed hard and looked away, down at the table. Her own feelings were starting to push through, and she had to work hard to fight them. She was here for answers. Taking a deep breath, she spoke, "I was wondering…if you would be willing to tell me what happened to him." Quickly, she added, "But you don't have to if you don't want to. I just…"

Annabeth shook her head, one of her feelings breaking through and showing plainly on her face. Elizabeth stared at her, her eyes slightly wide and her lips pressed together. She looked on as Annabeth bit her lip and continued. "I'm not going to be able to save him physically," she mumbled. "But I want to help him forgive himself. I need to save him from himself, and I don't have much time."

Annabeth looked back up into Elizabeth's eyes. They were fighting back tears, but one had slipped down her cheek. She glanced over to Maria, who was silently crying. This had to have been extremely hard, talking about their dying father who they loved, despite saying otherwise. No one could ever really hate their parents, not even…

Annabeth shook her head. Elizabeth sighed heavily. She tilted her head back, and started her story.

"I can only tell you what our grandparents told us, and what I barely remember." She took a deep breath. "Dad met Mom when they were sophomores in high school. They were both sixteen, and they fell madly in love. Grandma said she remembered Percy always coming home with a dazed look and a stupid grin on his face. Anyways, they dated all throughout the year and into the summer." She sighed. "When they were juniors, halfway through the year…" she licked her lips. "Mom was diagnosed with cancer. Apparently, her family had a history of cancerous patients. Either way, it tore them apart. Mom was a sobbing mess, but Dad was a bit calmer around her. Grandma said that whenever she went to the doctor appointments with her family, Percy would stay home with her and sob and he nearly tore apart their apartment."

Elizabeth stopped, glancing at Maria who had her head in her hands. Annabeth herself wasn't sure what to say. It was so heart-wrenching, because she knew what was coming up. She didn't want to hear this intimate, scarred story, but she had to. She _needed_ to. She herself had to fight back some tears that were threatening to fall.

She continued slowly. "They stayed together, but it was hard. The doctor had given her around five years to live. I just can't even imagine…" She shook her head and took a deep, shaky breath. "After a few months of senior year, Mom became pregnant with me. The doctors didn't think that she would be able to handle the birthing, but she insisted. Mom was a huge hippie." She smiled slightly. "She was always into nature and art, and she absolutely hated the idea of abortion. After graduation, I was born. They were about eighteen. She survived alright, but she had to stay a while longer in the hospital. Things were alright. I barely remember her, but I remember hearing her laugh."

Annabeth felt her hands shaking. She really wanted this to stop. She felt like she was intruding. It wasn't her business to be here in the first place. However, she clenched her hands into fists and willed herself to finish out the story—the tragedy.

"Two years later, this girl was born," she gestured to Maria, smiling slightly. Maria looked up with red eyes, smirking at Elizabeth. Suddenly, Elizabeth's face became solemn. "Mom almost died. They wanted to do a C-section, but she refused. She nearly died because of it. She was put into ICU for a month. I remember when Maria came home with Dad, but not Mom. We went to visit her everyday and she finally was able to come home."

She grew silent. The story was taking an even darker turn. Annabeth could feel the tension and the sorrow growing thickly in the air.

"Two years later, Maria and I were at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We had went to visit them while Dad and Mom went to this art thing together. Dad had said she really needed to see it, and he figured that she wouldn't…" She swallowed thickly, closing her eyes tight. "It was about two in the afternoon. It was raining. Dad called, and said that Mom had been taken to the hospital. We rushed over there, and we barely got to see her before she…she…"

Elizabeth shook with silent sobs. Maria had already left to the other side of the apartment. Annabeth sat there numbly, realizing vaguely that tears were falling down her face. She slowly reached forward with a trembling hand and grabbed Elizabeth's hand in reassurance.

"It's okay," Annabeth whispered, quickly ridding her face of tears. Elizabeth looked up at Annabeth, who gave her a small smile. "You don't have to finish. I can't thank you enough for telling me that."

Elizabeth just nodded. "I miss him," she whispered.

Annabeth bit her lip. "You can still change things between you guys."

The black-haired girl shook her head. "It's too late."

Annabeth chuckled darkly. "No, it's not." She stood up on jelly-like legs, letting go of Elizabeth's hand. "It's never too late until…" She clenched her jaw. "Just don't wait, only to have regrets later on. Trust me, you don't want that."

Annabeth knew what she was talking about. She had done almost the same thing, and she wasn't going to let this girl get away with it.

"Talk to him," Annabeth continued. "You might be surprised."

There was a moment of silence between them. Elizabeth could tell that Annabeth was really doing her best. She was really trying to help Percy. She stood up and nodded at Annabeth. "Okay."

The blonde nodded back. "Good. And…thank you." She turned to leave, but then she stopped. Curious, she asked, "What was your mom's name?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Rachel. Rachel Elizabeth Dare."

* * *

_It was a cool, autumn day. Percy was out with one of his friends, Nico. It had been about a year since her death. He still hadn't recovered. He had been a mess, and he still was. He was haggard and broken. _

_Nico insisted on dragging him out to get him some fresh air. They went to a bar. Percy was unsure of how this was "fresh air." He didn't really care. As soon as they sat down at the bar, he ordered a drink. He desperately needed one._

_Nico shook his head, pulling out a cigarette and watching his friend slowly get drunk. He lit up the cigarette and took a drag, blowing out the white, puffy smoke. _

_Percy stared curiously. "I thought you were quitting," he mumbled._

"_I am. It's a slow process," Nico replied. He really did hate that he was so addicted to these, but now they were slowly becoming less and less appealing to him. He felt great. "I'm down to a pack a day."_

_Percy nodded. He was vaguely glad that his friend and cousin as doing so well. "Can I try it?" he asked suddenly, surprising himself as well as Nico. _

"_Um…I guess…" he answered wearily, handing it over to Percy. Slowly, Percy inhaled the sweet, bitter, enticing nicotine…_

Percy blinked awake. He slowly looked around and gathered that he was still in his bedroom. He had fallen asleep.

Yawning, he sat up and stretched his arms, coughing lightly into his hand. No blood. Thank God. He glanced at the clock, scratching his head, and scowled. It was two 'o' clock, the worst time of the day. However, he suddenly remembered that he had a doctor's appointment at two-thirty. Begrudgingly, he got up and slipped on a pair of pants. He grabbed his jacket, ignoring the pack of cigarettes that practically sneered at him.

He exited the room and stared out into the empty apartment. It was quiet. His brow furrowed slightly as he made his way to Annabeth's room. He peered inside and found that, though her stuff was there, she was nowhere to be found.

He felt slightly guilty, though he wasn't sure why. It's not like he did anything wrong. She had been prying into matters that didn't concern her.

Still, he felt like a jerk to her and it bothered him greatly. He wasn't sure what he was feeling anymore. Things had changed suddenly, and he wasn't too fond of it. Annabeth was supposed to be someone he hated. He wasn't supposed to actually _like_ her.

He sighed and stalked out of the apartment to the doctor's office. Upon arriving, he promptly ignored the sputtering receptionist as he barged through the back doors to Doctor Lynch's office. He knocked once, opened the door, and trailed in.

"Alright, let's get this checkup over with," he announced, flinging his jacket off and roughly plopping on the examination table.

Doctor Lynch raised his brows, but didn't protest. It would have been futile to try to change Percy's mind. He merely grabbed his stethoscope and started the checkup. "Are you okay?" he asked slowly. "You seem angry…more than usual, I mean."

Percy glared. "I'm fine," he grumbled.

Doctor Lynch hardly believed him, but nevertheless, he let the boy be. It wasn't his place to argue with him, no matter how much he wanted to. He couldn't delve into personal matters unless Percy started talking about them.

The checkup passed in silence as Percy remained eerily quiet. Throughout the whole time, he was thinking about his feelings for Annabeth and how they had changed so drastically. It was absurd to think that he actually (just a little) cared for her. Maybe this was all part of the dying process. Maybe this was natural.

When the checkup was over, Percy silently slipped his dark jacket on. He was about to leave, but he stopped with his hand on the doorknob. He turned back to Doctor Lynch. "Um…have you…seen Annabeth today?"

He felt idiotic asking that. Doctor Lynch probably hadn't even talked to her since assigning him to her.

However, he found it odd that Doctor Lynch suddenly stiffened. He shuffled over to his desk and started sifting through papers. "W-why do you ask?"

Percy narrowed his eyes and took a step towards Lynchie. "You saw her, didn't you? She came here."

Doctor Lynch knew that if he told him about Elizabeth, Annabeth would find herself stuck between a rock and a hard place. He didn't want to do that to her, but on the other hand, Percy could get quite mad. Plus, he wasn't going to lie to him. He had a right to know.

"She might have," Doctor Lynch replied, lifting his chin.

Percy had a bad feeling about this. "Do you know where she went?"

Doctor Lynch bit his lip. "She might have…asked about…Elizabeth."

Percy froze. Instantly, it hit him like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, he understood what she was trying to do. His heart dropped and he felt like he was going to puke. But above all of that, he felt immense anger. Without a second thought, he ripped out of there, storming through the office doors to the outside world. He hailed a taxi and shouted his daughter's apartment address to the driver.

If luck was on his side, Annabeth would still be there.

* * *

**Oh no. Percy's furious. I can tell you, there will be a lot of things happening in the next chapter: fighting, crying, you learn Annabeth's secret, and then something else o_O**

**Thanks for reading and review please! Let me know what you think about Percy's past (by the way, he's about thirty seven in this story). **

**-Akatsuki Child**


	7. Chapter 7

**This is the chapter where things start to turn around. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Annabeth smiled. Rachel Elizabeth Dare. It was a unique name, but it fit the description of the woman Elizabeth had provided her with. Annabeth smiled. "Thank you again. So much. It will definitely help…and don't forget what I said about making amends." Annabeth gave her a hard look, daring her to say anything other than an affirmative.

Elizabeth studied Annabeth's expression. As she stared at the blonde woman, she had a feeling that Annabeth had been in position similar to this. The way she talked made it seem like it was from dreadful experience. Without realizing it, Elizabeth had nodded. She would try, but whether or not it would actually work was up to her father.

Annabeth nodded approvingly. She turned to leave, but just as she stepped towards it, the door suddenly lurched forward viciously. She flinched back and blinked in surprise as Percy glared down at her.

"Percy?" she asked incredulously, her heart lurching a bit. The more she stared at him, the more furious he appeared. "What's wrong?"

He chuckled, but it wasn't humorous. "What am _I_ doing here? Why the hell are _you_ here?" he yelled back. He stormed in, slamming the door shut and causing both girls to flinch. He glowered over Annabeth, bearing down on her with all his fury.

"Dad!" Elizabeth yelled in slight anger and confusion. However, Percy was too enraged with Annabeth to even notice her at the moment.

Annabeth glared back just as hard. She was sick of his bullshit. Enough was enough.

"I'm here," she yelled back, standing on her tip-toes to get in his face and poke his shoulder, "because you're an annoying, dying, stubborn, intolerable asshole. I've had enough of your shit. I came here to find out the truth because you were too cowardly to do it!"

Percy gave her a cold look. "Don't you dare call me a coward."

Annabeth only continued, ignoring his demand. "You're a coward," she repeated. "Your wife died, and instead of being there for your kids, you turned to smoking. You destroyed your life!"

Of course, Annabeth knew that this was unprofessional of her: going behind his back, talking to his daughter, yelling back at him…but she didn't give it another thought. She cared too much about Percy now, and she'd rather be happily unemployed knowing she saved him than to be miserably working on another patient.

"You don't even know what you're talking about!" Percy shouted. He felt his throat constrict as memories of Rachel hit him. "You don't know what it was like. I sat at her bedside every day, listening to her lies that everything was going to alright. I knew she was in so much pain. I was afraid to even touch her. I had to watch her _die_."

Percy froze. He remembered clearly sitting in that stupid hospital chair as she received more treatments. He remembered her chatting away to him, but never really listening. He was always thinking about _after_, about when she was…

He swallowed hard. He squeezed his eyes shut, his fists clenching. He pushed away the pain, all the memories that were usually dealt with by help of a cigarette.

"I put up with you invading my home, trying to heal me," Percy continued just as furiously as before. "But you crossed the line by coming here. This is none of your business. You don't know what it's like to lose someone, so stop acting like you do, and get the hell out of here."

Annabeth had been silent throughout this. When Percy was yelling at her, she had nearly cried from relief. He was finally going to get it out. He was finally going to realize that he was stupid for turning his back on life. But then he started his spiel again, and she had lost him.

Then, she suddenly stopped. His words triggered something in her. She remembered a time, a few years ago, when things had been unbearable.

Annabeth shook her head, staring down at her shoes. She smiled bitterly. "Actually, I do," she answered quietly.

She looked up at Percy's hard stare, giving him an icy, spine-shuddering glare. Percy blinked in surprise and watched as she stalked out of the apartment, slamming the door like he had done moments before.

What did she mean, she knew? There's no way she could have.

"D…Dad?"

Percy whipped around. In the heat of the moment, he had forgotten that this was his daughter's apartment. However, it wasn't Elizabeth who had spoken.

"Maria…" he spoke softly. He stared at her, with her black, frizzy hair. Her green eyes were exactly like her mother's.

Elizabeth sighed and gave him a solemn look. Here was her trying, just like Annabeth wanted.

"Dad, we need to talk."

* * *

Annabeth stormed outside. She was dressed in jeans and a sweater. It was chilly out and the bitter wind was enough to send chills down her body.

She huffed back to Percy's apartment in a furious state. She was fighting back tears the whole way, trying to keep away her past life. Percy was the one who didn't have a clue. She knew what he was going through, even though she wished she didn't.

The gray-eyed blonde swallowed away the bile that threatened to come up and instead continued to Percy's apartment. Once there, she practically broke the door down. She went straight to the guest room. She pulled her suitcase out and started throwing her belongings into the red bag haphazardly. She didn't care anymore. She just wanted to get out of here. She had done her best. She had at least advised Elizabeth to make amends. Hopefully that would be enough to save him.

She was in too deep, and if she didn't get out now, she would remain in the whole she'd dug.

Once everything was packed, she dragged her suitcase to the front door and then stepped back to look around, making sure she hadn't left anything. However, the more she looked around the room, the more pain she felt. It wasn't pain from her past, either.

She didn't want to leave him.

She sighed and leaned heavily against the doorframe. Her head lolled back as her eyes closed. It's not like she had fond memories of him. It's not like they actually got along. But over the couple weeks she knew him, he'd grown on her. She expected his roughness, his sarcasm, and his sharp tongue. After a while, he'd actually cracked a few jokes despite his obvious dislike for her. She had come to enjoy it.

Annabeth had undoubtedly fallen for a dying man. She knew that she was only bestowing more hurt upon herself, but this was out of her control now.

Not sure what to do and feeling more distressed than she had in a while, she decided to return to her substance of addiction: alcohol.

* * *

Percy was sitting at the brown, wooden table. He'd listened to Elizabeth and Maria. He had heard the story from their point of views. He watched as they both cried and explained how much they hated him for ruining his life.

"We still love you, Dad," Elizabeth mumbled shakily. "But you _gave up_."

Percy swallowed guiltily. It was true. He'd turn his back on them. He had practically abandoned them. But smoking had eased the pain. From the moment he inhaled that first one, he knew that he had found an outlet for the pain. Pretty soon, it became an obsession. _An addiction_. He couldn't stop, and he didn't want to.

Ashamed, he looked down. "It was my way of dealing with her death," he spoke quietly, evenly—truthfully. "I'll always love you girls, and I'm sorry for what I've done."

It was genuine. Elizabeth smiled slightly. It wouldn't be able to erase or forgive what he'd done, but it was a start.

Percy sighed and glanced at the clock. He hadn't even realized that he'd been there for four hours. It was already six-thirty. He got up, stiff from sitting for so long, and stretched his legs. He gave a short, body-jerking cough. Expressions of concern rose on his daughters' faces, but he just waved them off.

"I have to go," he said slowly. "But maybe…we can continue this tomorrow or something?" he asked timidly. He was used to his children rejecting him, it wouldn't surprise him if they suddenly decided he wasn't worth it.

Elizabeth nodded and Maria smiled. "Yeah," they answered.

Percy gave a crooked smile. He slipped his coat on and stepped outside.

Now he just had the problem of Annabeth to deal with.

He'd been so furious when Doctor Lynch had told him of her visiting Elizabeth. She had no right to go behind his back, caretaker or not. She had been incredulous from the beginning, and he would be glad if she had taken his advice and left.

But why did he feel sickness at that idea instead of joy?

Percy walked to a park. He needed to clear his head right now. The last place he wanted to be was his apartment, where she was probably waiting to throw more insults at him.

God he wished she would just leave…but he didn't really want her to. If he were being truthful with himself, he would realize that he loved how predictable she could be. He loved her temper and cleverness. He didn't really want her to leave. She could even drag him to the gym again.

Percy snorted. Okay, maybe not that far.

He just wished that he didn't care about her. Then things would be so much simpler. He wouldn't feel like a jerk right now, even though none of their fight at really been his fault. If she had only kept to her own business…

But he still felt guilty, and that's what was pinning him down right now.

Percy sighed. He had to at least talk to her.

* * *

By the time he arrived home, it was around eleven. He had been walking around parks (sometimes walking into the occasional bar) trying to figure out what to say to the blonde caretaker. He couldn't quite find the words to describe the way he was feeling. However, after a couple beers, he was able to convince himself that he would be fine with winging it.

As far as he could tell, the apartment was empty. He didn't even notice the loaded suitcase by the door. He swallowed hard as he walked to the guest room.

It was empty.

He closed his eyes and licked his lips. His stomach dropped. He was too late. She already left.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He blinked once before rushing over to the white portal and swinging it open. He deflated though as he saw it was only his landlady, Miss Calowitz.

"You're with the blonde girl, right?" she asked gruffly. She was a skinny woman in her sixties, with graying wispy hair that was pulled back in a messy bun.

Percy's heart lurched. "Yeah. Have you seen her?" he asked urgently.

She snorted. "Oh yeah. She's on the roof…and if you don't get her down, I'll call the cops."

Percy had to roll that over in his mind again before nodding. She was on the roof…

He merely shook his head. He would find out why soon enough.

* * *

The night air was piercing. It was bitter and chilly, especially up here on the roof. Percy shivered as he stepped up on the brick surface. He immediately spotted Annabeth. She had her back towards him. She was sitting on the edge of the building with her shoulders slumped, legs dangling off the edge. She was holding something in her hand, but he couldn't see it.

He swallowed as he slowly approached her, so as not to startle her. As he got closer, he could see that she was holding a bottle (of what he safely assumed was some sort of alcohol) wrapped up with a brown paper bag. He slowly sat down beside her, only an inch away from her body heat. He wasn't exactly fond of heights, but he didn't have an exaggerated fear of them.

He momentarily remembered their fight and the reason for it, but he pushed it down and away. "Uh, Annabeth?"

"Hmmm?" she hummed. She was starting to get drunk, if not already there.

"Whatcha doing?"

Annabeth chuckled and took a sip of alcohol. "You know," she stated, wiping her mouth and leaning on Percy, "I haven't drank alcohol in over three years."

Percy blinked. That was…odd. "Okay…so you decided to start again on the roof?"

She paused, still leaning on him. Percy felt his cheeks flush. She smelled…good. Like lemons.

There was a long moment of silence. Percy wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to apologize, but he wasn't sure what for. He sure as hell wasn't going to apologize for their fight. It wasn't even his fault.

But then, she filled in the silence unexpectedly.

"I was twenty-nine when it happened," she started, her voice sounding more sober. Percy wasn't sure where she was going with this, so he merely listened. "My mom was driving back to San Francisco from Los Angeles. The traffic was crazy that day, and she got in an accident. She didn't die, but she suffered severe brain damage. I was supposed to help her get her functioning back. She could barely even talk."

Annabeth paused. The memories were a blur, thanks to the alcohol.

"After a month, she just…passed away. She couldn't live any longer, and I guess she just gave up." Annabeth sighed. "It was my biggest failure, as a daughter and as a caretaker. Percy…"

Said man looked down and found her staring back up at him with tearful eyes. "I told you I failed two cases in my entire career. She was the first. And…I was the second."

Percy vaguely remembered her threats from when they first met, and he recalled this fact. He had no idea…

She gave a bitter chuckle. "I fell onto drinking…became an alcoholic. I knew it was getting bad, and I tried stopping myself, but I couldn't. I kept breaking the promises I had made to myself. I just couldn't…"

She took a deep breath and took another swig. Percy watched her, remaining silent.

"You know," she continued, "I thought my life was going great. But then in the next moment—"

At that point, her grip on the bottle loosened, and it slowly fell from her grasp. The two watched as it dropped to the city below. After a few seconds, it hit the ground with a loud smash. Percy's lips twitched as he saw Annabeth's disappointed look.

"Kaboom," he finished quietly. Annabeth looked up at him with pain-filled eyes. "Your life is completely changed in a matter of seconds."

Percy and Annabeth stared. All this time, they had been going through the same thing: losing someone they loved. They had both dealt with addictions. Annabeth was smarter about her recovery and trying to stay sober. Percy wasn't that smart, and now…he was paying the price.

Suddenly, Annabeth's lips crashed onto his. She pushed herself against him as she felt a spark of electricity in her stomach.

Percy sat shocked for a moment. A jolt ran through him, and before he knew it, he was kissing her back with all his might. There was definitely something going on between them. They couldn't ignore it anymore. The tension between them had been suffocating.

Besides, he was a dying man.

They broke apart, gasping for air. They stared into each other's eyes, trying to convey what they both wanted. Finally, Annabeth gave a subtle nod, never breaking eye contact.

Percy felt butterflies erupt in his stomach. He swallowed nervously. He hadn't been this nervous since he met Rachel.

He slowly got up and hoisted her to her feet. Her soft hands grabbed his and she pulled him back to the door leading to the apartment, leading to his door, and ultimately leading to his bedroom.

* * *

**Before you ask-yes, they do have sex. I may or may not write that scene in a different one-shot. To keep it rated T, I didn't include it, but it's supposed to be emotional and deep. **

**How did I do? I felt a little uneasy about how this chapter turned out. But what do you guys think?**

**Thanks for reading and review please! Only a few chapters left!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


	8. Chapter 8

**SO sorry for the late update! I'm really trying to finish this story, I just have so many other ideas and stories I want to work on too! Thanks to all my reviewers, especially to those who bugged me to update! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Annabeth awoke that morning with an aching head and body. She groaned and cracked her eyes open, staring up at the white ceiling. Her body felt immensely warm, and when she turned her head, she found a mop of black hair.

Her mind quickly registered that Percy was beside her. She snapped up into a sitting position. The sheets fell away to reveal her bare chest. Squeaking, she clutched the navy blue blanket around her as a barrage of flashes assaulted her. She had been slightly drunk, and she and Percy….

Another groan escaped her lips. She fell back against the pillows, rubbing her head. How could she have been so stupid? She had fallen for a dying man, and then she went and had sex with him.

_Brilliant, Annabeth, _she chided herself. _Your best work yet._

Honestly, she felt like crying. She'd only known the guy for a month and already she was in love with him. And he was going to die. She was so frustrated with herself, she just wanted to scream and run away from all of this. She knew that…when his time came…it was going to be one of the hardest times of her life. Almost as bad as her mother's death.

Suddenly, Percy shifted around, his arm bumping into hers and causing her heart to jump. Percy's eyes blinked open and stared at her, his eyes glassy from sleep. After a moment they cleared, and he stared into Annabeth's gray, stormy eyes as he slowly realized she was lying in his bed. Naked.

His eyes widened as he remembered the previous night. It had been very naked and sweaty, but…it had also been intimate. Percy had been able to show his feelings to her, to finally let himself succumb to the strange attraction that had spurred up between the two. He wasn't exactly sure what was transpiring between them, but he did know that it wouldn't last very long because of him.

The dark-haired boy swallowed hard, his arm skimming across Annabeth's bare stomach as a cold breeze blew through the open window. The blonde caretaker shivered and shifted over to Percy, glad for the extra warmth.

"I don't regret anything," Annabeth mumbled into his neck. Percy closed his eyes solemnly. He didn't either but…

"I'm going to die."

Annabeth clenched her fists and fought back the tears threatening to escape. She was surprised at herself for falling in love so quickly, especially with this man. He was rude, sarcastic, mean…but he was also caring and loving in his own way.

But the truth of his words couldn't be over-looked. He was going to die in a month, if he even had that long.

She sat up a bit, staring at him. "Well then we'd better make the most of it."

Percy felt his heart lurch. He grasped her closer to his body, like he was a terrified five-year-old and she was his teddy bear. He _was_ scared. This was his second time falling in love, but the only difference was that this time, _he_ was going to die. _He_ was going to leave his love brokenhearted.

He had been selfish. He'd only been thinking of himself when he started smoking. He hadn't thought about what it would do to his kids or that it would push them away so badly. By all means he wasn't naïve. He knew that there would be some consequences to letting it take over his life, but he had been so blinded by his own desire to die that he hadn't realized he'd pushed everyone away. All the people he cared about and that cared for him were gone.

By pushing everyone away, he had rejected the idea of recovery, that there _was_ something out there that could help him with Rachel's death. It had taken Doctor Lynch forcing Annabeth to be his caretaker for Percy to realize that he could move on. He loved Rachel with all his heart, and now he had Annabeth. However, it seemed that karma was not going to show mercy, and he would have her taken away by his own selfish wants.

For once in a very long time, Percy didn't want to die.

* * *

As promised, that next week was spent in blissful unawareness. The newly joined couple spent the days together, just enjoying the time they had left. They rarely left the house unless it was needed. Percy's next (and probably last) checkup was on Saturday.

Throughout the week, they tried to ignore the bitter truth that Percy didn't have that much time left. It was always in the back of their minds, but they never spoke about it. They didn't even try to think about it. All they did was relish in the fact that right now he was still there.

But then, on Friday night, Percy spoke about the taboo subject.

They were lying in his bed and it was late at night. They were awake, but neither had spoken in a while. They were wrapped up tight in each other's arms. Annabeth was finally starting to doze off when Percy spoke up.

"Annabeth…" he mumbled through the silence. Annabeth waited for him to continue.

Percy swallowed hard. "I don't want to die," he whispered.

Annabeth couldn't take it. After this week, after bottling it up, she had to let it out. She burst into tears after those words. They trailed down her face as waterfalls. She was close to sobbing, and Percy could feel her body shaking uncontrollably. He pulled her closer, trying to fight back his own tears.

Maybe she was being overdramatic, Annabeth thought. She'd just met the guy a month ago, and already she was in love with him. Maybe she was just confusing her feelings about him for love. It wouldn't have been the first time it's happened.

But something told her that this was the real deal. She'd finally found her Prince Charming, only to realize that he would be taken away from her in less than a month's time.

It was cruel, and dare she say it, unfair. After all they'd both been through—she with her mom and he with Rachel—they couldn't be happy together. But maybe this was their price to pay. Instead of moving on, they both chose to pick up nasty habits that, once started, were almost impossible to stop. She'd taken up alcohol to get rid of the memories and pain. Percy had started smoking to achieve the same goal.

They finally found what they wanted—no, _needed_…but they had been selfish, and they could only have one thing or the other. For Percy, it was his wish to die, but for Annabeth, she would only suffer more pain.

Annabeth, her face still covered in tears, tried to think of a possible light to the situation. Every terrible event had some good that came out of it, but Annabeth could find nothing.

She couldn't find the words to dispel the crippling pain that she knew was running through both of them. Instead, she could only curl up tighter into a ball and revel in the few moments she had of being in Percy's arms.

* * *

It was finally Saturday. Percy and Annabeth were going to his final checkup where Doctor Lynch would no doubt finalize the time limit on Percy's life. Once arriving at the clinic, Percy didn't even bothering with harassing the clerk at the front desk like he usually did. Instead, he and Annabeth took a seat in the waiting room. The clerk raised a brow at him, but he just ignored it, instead looking over at Annabeth's scared, gray eyes.

Within minutes, he was called to Lynch's office. When they stepped inside, the room seemed colder to Percy. It seemed…darker. Doctor Lynch was sitting in his chair, looking solemn as Percy plopped down on the examination table.

After taking X-rays of Percy's lungs, Lynch came back with a sad expression. "I'm sorry Percy, but…"

Percy held up his hand, choking back his emotions. "You don't have to say it," he said bitterly. His eyes were sad, and he could see Annabeth's lips trembling behind the fist her chin rested on.

He cleared his throat suddenly. "Umm…so there's no chance of the surgery working, is there?"

Shock and surprise filtered through not only Doctor Lynch's eyes, but Annabeth's as well. After all this time, all this arguing and fighting…he wanted the surgery when he couldn't have it.

It was bitter sweet.

Lynch shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Your lungs are too infected. If we tried getting rid of the cancer…it would only kill you faster. There'd be nothing left."

Percy felt his stomach drop to his feet. So this really was it. After all this time, he was finally going to get his wish of dying…when he now wished for life.

"I…I understand."

But Annabeth couldn't stay. She jumped from the chair and hustled out of the room, leaving Lynch to study the ground with hard eyes.

As Percy started getting up to leave, Doctor Lynch stopped him. "Percy…after all this time, you ask for the surgery when it's impossible." Lynch shook his head. "What made you change your mind?" he asked, honestly curious. He had fought for hours and hours on changing his mind to no avail, and suddenly he had a change of heart? Something had happened.

Percy sighed. He was starting to get tired of all of this. But nothing could deny him from realizing exactly why he wanted the surgery.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I found something worth living for."

And with that, he quietly exited the room.

* * *

**OH GODS I almost cried when I was writing this! By the way, this story is almost over with! About two chapters, maybe three left! **

**Also, I've posted a poll and it would GREAT if you'd vote on it! I want to start writing other stories where Annabeth is paired up with someone other than Percy. Of course, I'll still be making Percabeth stories, but I like the idea of crack pairings (such as Kronos and Annabeth in Reactions). So please go vote!**

**Oh, and I've been getting back into ThaliaApollo, and we know what that means, right?...I will be starting on Contentions again soon! Yay! **

**One last final thing, I've been using my blog to let people know how I'm doing with writing, so go ahead and read that if you'd like! There's a link on my profile to it.**

**Thanks for reading and review please!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


	9. Chapter 9

**The long-awaited final chapter. Grab your tissues and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

Day by day.

That's how they took it.

Hour by hour.

Almost minute by minute.

They had no idea when his time would end, when his life would finally be taken away after all the years he'd prayed for it. They were clueless as to how he would go: silently, in his sleep, or if the cancer would suddenly suffocate him. Either way, it was inevitable. Unfortunately, the few days that he had recently started praying for a second chance—that maybe death would overlook him for a few more years—wouldn't be enough to save him. No amount of wishful hoping and praying to live could undo years of longing for death.

It was a shame, really, that Percy had found something to finally live for again. He'd finally found someone to tie him to the world. But it was too late. His newfound love for Annabeth wouldn't be able to save him.

It was a shame.

But all good things must come to an end, whether prayed for that or not.

Percy's time was coming way too soon, at a very inconvenient time.

But that's how life worked.

* * *

Knock, knock.

Elizabeth looked up from her crossword puzzle, surprised that someone would be visiting her. She pushed the blanket down from herself and stood up from her spot on the couch. When she opened the door, she found her father standing before her, looking solemn.

"D-Dad," she sputtered.

And then, like a running faucet, it poured out of him. "I'm going to die soon."

It wasn't exactly graceful, but then again, he'd lived a portion of his life without grace. Why should he suddenly change his ways days, possibly moments before his death? It would have been a sick joke.

Elizabeth blinked, but then she took another glance at his serious, saddened expression, and everything seemed to finally sink in.

Despite the fact that he had neglected she and her sister, despite his need to smoke himself to death…she felt herself shaking as her throat tightened and tears started to gather in her eyes.

She shook her head, trying to dispel this horrible, sick nightmare. This wasn't real. This wasn't how life was supposed to go. She couldn't lose both her parents. They were supposed to live to see her children and her grandchildren. They were supposed to help her get through life when life was tough.

Too bad it didn't work out that way.

Percy stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her small frame. He held her tight, almost crushing her. But she didn't mind. She returned the hug and held him just as tight, burying her face into him as tears rushed down her face.

"I met your mother in high school," Percy suddenly started in a low mumble, his lips trembling with fright and pure sadness. His voice was shaking, but he continued. "We were both sophomores, and we fell madly in love…"

He had to retell the story that he had told her hundreds of times. He had to, for his sake. It was his way of trying to ask for her forgiveness after all this time. It was his way of letting go of the past, of forgetting about his addiction, and why he'd started it.

He did it to remember Rachel.

Like before, Maria stepped out from her room after hearing the ruckus. Of course, she had listened in as best as she could, so when she finally stepped out, tears glistened on her cheeks as she rushed forward to hug her father.

"I love you both so much," Percy reminded them, struggling to keep his voice even. Tears slowly ran across his face. "Never forget that. I know you can never forgive me for what I've done. I'm not asking you to. But please, remember the father you had before all of this started."

He stared into the eyes of his daughters, his own and Rachel's reflected in both of them. They were sniffling, wiping away tears that were soon replaced with fresh ones.

He gave them a sad smile, and they couldn't help but smile back.

"Tell us more about Mom."

* * *

A week passed.

Nothing had happened yet.

For once in a long time, Annabeth felt hope.

* * *

Percy and Annabeth lay in his bed. She was pressed up against him, clad only in her undergarments, as was Percy. They were quiet, not daring to speak in case they thought of the forbidden topic. Right now, their goal was to spend time together. In this little moment, they could at least _pretend_. Pretend that they were a married couple with a family of their own, with past addictions and tragedies behind them. He pretended that he didn't have lung cancer. He pretended that Annabeth was his loving wife and that in the morning she'd wake him up with tender kisses and a bright smile full of happiness.

For a moment, he believed it, dozing off into a dream filled with wishful thinking.

And then he woke up, and though Annabeth did kiss him, her smile was a sad, grim one. Reality hit him as he coughed, and coughed, and finally coughed until blood sputtered out onto the bedroom floor. Annabeth couldn't hold back the tears as she rushed to the bathroom and grabbed a towel, lighting wetting it and running back to wipe the blood from Percy's chin.

Her hands shook uncontrollably as she wiped the blood from the floor. Finally, a sob broke through her lithe body and she threw the towel to the side.

"I can't take it!" she exclaimed, straddling Percy's waist and holding him tight. His lean body shook as he clutched onto her, his lifeline, as his tears ran down her stomach.

"It's okay," he mumbled. "It's okay…it's okay…"

Despite Annabeth's negative shake of the head, he continued to say it, willing her to believe it—if not for herself, for him. He finally understood what it was like to be Rachel, to know that time was up, yet to stay positive. If not for yourself, for your loved one.

"It's okay…it's okay…"

He finally realized why Rachel had said it. She had accepted her death, even if others around her hadn't. She was trying to convince _them_, to tell them that they would survive without her. To tell them that she would be _fine._ She would be relieved of her pain.

"It's okay…it's…okay…"

But it wasn't.

* * *

Two days passed.

Things were tense.

And, finally, it happened.

* * *

Percy and Annabeth were eating lunch. A sandwich and water. He wasn't taking any chances. Oddly, though, Annabeth wasn't eating. He figured he knew why, so he didn't mention anything. She only stared at him, occasionally sniffing.

Finally, he sighed and got up, walking towards the bathroom. His body ached like hell. He found it harder to breathe, but he didn't let it show in front of Annabeth. He couldn't allow her to. She'd fall apart, and he knew that if that happened, she wouldn't recover from it.

He stopped by his bedroom, staring at a packet of cigarettes that had been left behind. He wanted to throw them out the window, smash them to pieces, flush them down the toilet. Anything to stop them from practically mocking him, laughing at their destruction they had caused upon him. He glared and continued on his way to the bathroom.

He ignored the fact that he had invited them to deploy their destruction on his body.

Percy stared at himself in the mirror. His skin seemed gaunt, with dark circles under his eyes. His eyes were darkened with pain and depression, a horrible combination. His complexion was pale and ghost-like.

He glared at himself. He'd destroyed himself. He had been selfish. He didn't deserve to live. But he loved Annabeth dearly. If there was one reason why he wished to live, it was so he could be with her.

It would be his one regret when he died.

Percy sighed, feeling tears come to his eyes. His mouth tightened with thick emotion. He tried clearing it, but that only started him coughing. And coughing. And coughing.

He couldn't stop.

He bent over the sink, coughing up blood, more than he ever had before.

That's when he knew that today was the day.

He couldn't breathe. Every time he tried taking in a breath, his lungs would catch and he'd end up coughing more, and more, and more.

His vision started getting blurry. His senses started to close off. He mildly heard Annabeth running down the hall, shouting his name. He vaguely saw her crying and sobbing, grabbing his face as he crumbled to the floor, coughing blood onto her arms. He barely heard her talking to paramedics on the phone, begging for an ambulance.

"Percy," Annabeth called, lightly shaking him. "Don't go. You can't leave me!"

He only gave a small smile, touching her face. "It'll be okay…"

And then he blacked out.

* * *

Annabeth stood in a hospital room, clutching Percy's hand. IVs were hooked up to his arms as he slowly breathed in and out. His face looked peaceful, something she had never seen before.

She was crying silently, for fear that if she started sobbing, the nurses would come take her away. She wasn't leaving. She was going to stay right here.

As she stared at his pale, beautiful face, she thought back to the few weeks she'd known him. He had changed her life drastically. She never thought she would have fallen in love with him, given their constant fighting when they first met. But now…she didn't want to fall in love with anyone else.

Then, a doctor came in.

He gave her a solemn look, shaking his head slowly.

Annabeth's world fell apart. She felt her heart crumble and shatter. Her soul felt like it was being torn apart. She wished this was all just a scary dream, that she would wake up and find Percy sleeping soundly in his own bed.

But…life wasn't easy.

She'd gone through this before, but this was the hardest one. The most difficult.

With a deep breath, she finally gave a nod of approval, and the doctor walked over to the machine keeping him alive.

Annabeth's eyes filled with tears that brimmed over onto her cheeks. She leaned down and kissed Percy's cheek.

"I love you," she whispered, her voice cracking.

And that was it.

He was gone.

Elizabeth and Maria rushed in, tears already covering their cheeks. Maria broke down when she saw her father lying in the hospital bed, the heart monitor showing a steady, lifeless line. She stepped forward and grabbed Percy's other hand, crying her eyes out.

Elizabeth could only stare, watching as Annabeth slowly turned around, walking towards the door.

"Time of death," the doctor said solemnly. "One thirty-eight…"

Annabeth slipped out of the room. She stopped outside and leaned against the door. She wordlessly slid down to the floor, burying her face in her hands. Finally, she let the tears flow as sobs wracked her body.

Percy was gone.

Percy was gone.

Percy…was…

"_It'll be okay…it'll be okay…"_

No, it won't.

* * *

**Five Months Later**

Annabeth sat on a bench in Central Park. According to Percy, it was place where he loved to just sit and smoke cigarettes. It was a place where he felt calm and relaxed.

Five months. Five months since his death. She couldn't believe it still. Every morning she woke up, wishing with all her soul that he was still alive.

She missed him so much.

Sighing, she struggled to her feet, her belly swollen to that of a five-month pregnant woman. That night with Percy, when she finally confessed her past, they had shared an intimate moment together, one that would forever live with her, whether in memory or in human form, as it would be in a few months.

She was both scared and excited. She was mostly thankful. She had a part of Percy with her. This child…this child would be loved so deeply, so fully…a day wouldn't go by where the child wouldn't doubt his mother loved him.

She hadn't gotten the chance to tell Percy.

But she was sure that he would have loved their child just as much as Elizabeth and Maria.

Percy may have been gone, but in a way, he was still alive. His memory would always be with her, in her heart. She would always remember how he loved her for their short time together. She would tell their child everything about him. She would let Elizabeth and Maria know their half-sibling. She would let them tell stories of their dad that Annabeth couldn't tell.

From Percy's death came a new life. A life that would be filled with joy, tears, and love for all of Percy's loved ones. Yes, they would miss him, but not a moment would go by when he would be forgotten. He would always be remembered and loved. Annabeth was glad to be his caretaker. She felt lucky to be his lover, and to have his third child.

Because, in an ironic way…death was life.

* * *

**I can't tell you how hard it was to write this. I really don't get that emotional when I write, but this one...it was tough. **

**I had actually attempted to write this chapter a few times a while ago, but it never felt right. And then, tonight, it was like I sat down and I finally knew how to end it. **

**Thanks so much to all of you who have followed, read, and reviewed this story! I'm sorry for leaving it for so long, but tonight I finally finished it. I hoped you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. Thanks for the final read and give me one last review! :D**

**-Akatsuki Child**


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